


Day 142

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [142]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:20:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24328681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [142]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257





	Day 142

The doorman who let Varric into Lady Elegant’s estate looked like he had not slept in weeks. His jowls sagged, his normally neat hair was frizzed in places and the bags under his eyes were more like backpacks.

“Long morning?” Varric asked. The doorman heaved a great sigh and led Varric through to the sitting room.

“You know what these days are like Master Tethras,” he mumbled. An orlesian bard, a juggler and an acrobat passed them on their way out. Still in the room, Lady Elegant and Lord Wendalin rested on a fainting couch, Wendalin laying with his head on his wife’s lap and staring blankly forwards.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Elegan said. She sounded as tired as the doorman looked though nary a hair on her head was out of place. Varric smiled his best, most reassuring smile.

“Is there any other kind?”

He climbed onto the dwarf sized chair opposite the couch and settled in. Out of the corner of his eye he spied the bard hanging around. Well, if more people wanted to hear his stories Varric wouldn’t disappoint.

“Did I ever tell you about the time the sisters Montbelliard came to Kirkwall?” Lady Elegans shook her head no. Wendalin didn react except to fix his eyes on Varric.

“It was a few years ago, after the Qunari had landed but before they attacked. Their mother thought it was high time the sisters gained a proper appreciation for Orlesian culture. And as anyone can tell you, the best way to experience Orlais is from abroad. So to Kirkwall they came, to see a traveling troupe of bards and to do a bit of shopping on the side. Their mother hired a Tal-Vashoth mercenary to act as their chaperone. She was known as La Bete, not as one might expect, for her intimidating appearance, but for her terrible temper and a loyalty that could only be matched by a mabari.

The sisters three went first to the grand market of hightown where merchants from all over the Free Marches gathered to show off their wares.

‘Ze markets of Val Royeaux are much grander zen zis,’ Marie, the middle sister cried out in dismay. ‘Why ‘as mozer sent us ‘ear. What could we ‘ope to find?’

‘But zere are sings here nous ne trouvons pas in Val Royeaux,’ Sheryse the youngest replied. As if to illustrate her point, a mage walked by arm-in-arm with a desire demon. The creature had purple skin and was clad in little more than gold chains.

‘Zut alors!’ Brielle, the eldest, and most sheltered exclaimed. ‘A demon in the market! Oui must call ze templars!’ Fortunately, you are never more than a few paces from a templar in Kirkwall and the sisters quickally found one.

‘Why hello there,’ said the templar. ‘Whatever can the order do you you today?’’

‘Oh you must ‘elp us,’ Brielle cried. ‘Zere is a demon loose in ze market!’

‘What a serious accusation,’ the template said. ‘Where is this supposed demon?’ Brielle pointed to the demon and the templar followed her finger but did not seem to see the demon,

‘Ze woman wiz purple skin!’ Brielle shouted.

“I don’t know what passes as manors in Orlais,” said the templar, “but here in Kirkwall it is rude to mock people for things such as skin conditions. Look, she and her escort are at the alchemists buying an ointment for her.”

‘Is it also rude to point out when someone ‘as ‘orns?’ Marie asked.

‘Well.. maybe she is a qunari, like your friend there,’ the templar said, indicating La Bete. ‘or maybe she’s wearing one of those new hats that are coming into fashion in Orlais.’

‘She is bewitching ze men in ze market to do ‘er bidding,’ Sheryse protested.

“Well,” said the templar with a wink. ‘I have yet to meet a pretty lady who didn’t bewitch every man she met. especially if she is dressed like that.’

‘Enough of this!’ La Bete cried out. “The Qune demands that I slay this demon!’ and with that the woman launched herself at the demon, thriving her powerful fists into soft demonflesh. The mage fired off a bolt of lightning that sent the Qunari flying.

‘Very odd,’ said the templar. ‘Nary a cloud in the sky yet we have lightning. Weather is tuley one of the Maker’s greatest mysteries.’

‘We need to find more templars,’ Marie said. ‘But where would zey be?’

‘If you’re looking for templars,’ said a passing dwarf. ‘The one sure place to find them is in the Blooming Rose.’

‘Ze Blooming Rose?” asked Brielle. ‘Is zat ze Chantry garden?’

‘It might as well be,’ the dwarf replied. She led them through the streets to the rose. Behind them a fierce battle rages between the demon and La Bete.

Once inside the sisters were surprised to find a distinct lack of plants. They were greeted by an elven worker who gave them a bow and a flourish of his hat, eyed their ample… coin purses with delight.

‘I do not understand,’ Brielle said looking around.

‘I sink I do,’ Marie said. She turned to leave but her sisters did not follow.

‘What kind of plants do you grow ‘ere?’ Brielle asked, still confused.

‘Mostly aubergines,’ the elf replied. ‘We grow them bigger and better than anywhere else, guaranteed.’

‘Oh,’ Brielle said, disappointed. ‘I never cared for aubergines.’

‘Not to worry,’ the elf said quickly, ‘we have peaches a plenty here as well.’

‘I love peaches,’ Brielle said. She tried to follow the elf but Marie caught her arm and held her back.

‘It is not ze season for peaches,’ she whispered. ‘Zey won’t be fresh, best we hold off for now.’

‘I for one would like a tour of all the plants in your garden monsieur,’ Sheryse said, taking the host by the arm. And before Marie could stop them, they had disappeared deeper into the Rose. 

‘If La Bete catches us in ‘ere she’ll take ‘er cane to our backsides,’ Marie gasped.

“We can do that for five silvers,” a passing woman winked. 

Marina pulled her remaining sister with her as she went deeper into the Rose. ‘We ‘ave to find Sheryse before La Bete does.’ 

The sisters went up the stairs and found themselves faced with a row of doors each bearing a different flower. Marie didn’t know where Sheryse might have gone, but there was a man standing between two doors looking distressed so she decided to talk to him.

‘‘Ave you seen our sister monsieur,’ Mari asked.

‘There are sisters aplenty here,’ the man said, scratching his bald head. He went to open one of the doors but pulled his hand back at the last moment, going, instead to the other. But here too, he paused. 

‘Whatever is ze matter monsieur,’ Brielle asked, the man’s anxiety spreading to her.

‘I have paid all the money I have left for one night here,’ he explained. ‘They said I could have my pick of these two rooms but I cannot decide which I want more. In the first room there is a woman fair, slight and full of passion, in the other a woman tall, dark and indomitable. I love them both and cannot possibly be made to choose.’ The man almost opened both doors one more time before giving up and leaving the Rose altogether. 

‘What a silly man,’ Marie observed. ‘To have ‘is choice of two pleasures but to end up with neither for ze choosing.’

In hopes of finding her sister before La Bete Marie picked a door at random and went inside. There she saw a templar laying atop one of the working girls while in the corner, a chantry mother watched, a look of disapproval in her face. 

‘Oh my,’ Brielle. ‘What is zat templar doing?’

‘Clearly ‘e must be trying to restrain what ‘e believes to be a dangerous maleficar,’ Marie said. ‘Mother you must make ‘im stop. Zere is a demon on the loose and ‘e must see too ‘is duty.’

‘That may be so,’ the mother said. ‘But what can I do? He is clearly lost in his passions and would not listen to me. And besides it is my place to guide not to command.’

When the mother started reaching a hand up her robe Marie fled the room in disgust, dragging Brielle, who had been watching the scene with confused interest, with her. The next room contained a very different scene. A man was tied down on a bead being tickled by a woman with a feather duster. An irate Qunari was furiously digging through the drawings and looking under the bed.

‘You disgust me,’ he grumbled. ‘Your endless debauchery boils my blood. Stop offending my eyes with your perversions!’

‘If it offends you so, why do you not leave?’ Marie asked.

‘Because,’ he roared, ‘I have lost my coin purse in this festering pustule of a room and I cannot leave without it!’

When the Qunari started smashing the furniture the sisters quickly left. The next room they tried was the most ornate place they had yet seen. A naked pirate lay on a bed of gold and jewels. In her hand she clutched a coin purse, she laughed as she tossed it from hand to hand.

‘Is zat the purse the Qunari was looking for?’ Maria asked.

‘Does it really matter in the end,’ the pirate asked. ‘I need it to settle a debt.’

‘Is it not uncomfortable to be laying on all zose gems?’ Brielle asked.

‘Well aren’t you an adorable darling,’ the pirate laughed. ‘In fact, there is nothing in the world that compares to the feeling of gold and jewels on bare skin.’ She looked Brielle up and down smiling. ‘Would you like to try?’

Briell nodded and hopped onto the bed. The pirate started helping her unbutton and unlace the extravagant gown she was wearing. Marie threw up her hands in disgust and left the room. She was just in time to see La Bete burst into the room and Marie had just enough time to duck into the last room to hide. There she finally found Sheryse, makeup smudged, dress askew and in the arms of the elven host.

‘La Bete is here,’ she exclaimed and Sheryse jumped from the arms of her elven companion. 

‘We must flee,’ she shrieked. But just then the Pirate and Brielle came into the room. Both were now dressed only in golden chains, much like the demon they had seen when they first came to the city. 

‘I know a secret way out,’ the pirate said. ‘Follow me if you don’t want to get caught.’

The three sisters followed the pirate as she led them down a hidden corridor. Back in the main room of the Rose La Bete had kicked in a few doors and met the angry Qunari, still searching for his coin purse. Well, La Bete knew misbehavior when she saw it and gave the Qunari a piece of her mind. Engaged he tackled the woman through a wall, knocking over some candles and setting the place aflame.

The Pirate let the sisters all the way to darktown where she disappeared, leaving them lost and completely unaware of the state the Rose was in above them.”

Varric paused here. He looked to Elegant who patted Wendalin softly on the back.

“I think he’s asleep,” she whispered. “Thank you Varric.”

Varric bowed and left the couple to retire to the bedroom. The orlesian bard insisted on following Varric back to the Hanged Man. An orlesian was not Varric’s first choice for company but the man offered to buy his drinks for the evening and how could one say no to an offer like that?


End file.
